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Proudhon, Pierre-Joseph
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809–65) became famous in 1840 when his book Qu’est-ce que la propriété? attacked the idle rich and defended anarchism. Best known during his life for his “mutualist” socialism, his writings remained a touchstone for opponents of Marx in the First International, for Italian, Swiss, and Spanish anarchists in the late nineteenth century, and for federalists and syndicalists in subsequent eras.
Proudhon was born in a modest neighborhood in Besançon, France, although he spent much of his youth in the countryside of the Jura. He was proud of his humble origins but was a precociously bright youth and won scholarships to attend classes in Besançon and Paris. He always insisted, however, that his real education took place in the workshop, where mental tasks were ...
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